Skin - Why you should care.

What is waterproof, washable, self healing, is touchy and feels, helps keep you warm, helps keep you cool, helps keep you well, excretes toxins, and is selectively absorbent? No, it is not a new high tech Snuggie. It is your skin, and it is truly amazing. As the largest organ of your body, your skin plays a vital role in your overall health and should be treated with respect.
Most people don't realize that their skin is a vital part of their body's immune system and should be kept healthy in order to help fight off many types of illness. The oil that your skin produces naturally not only helps keep your skin lubricated, but it is naturally antibacterial and also helps keep you from becoming dehydrated. You can promote good health by properly caring for your skin.
In a world where we are constantly bombarded by advertising for new skin care products, how do we know what is best for the wellness of our skin? There are a few ingredients that are best avoided when using skin care products. Harsh detergents, such as sodium laurel sulfate (SLS), which is found in nearly everything that produces a lather, from dish soap to face wash is best avoided. SLS strips away your skins natural oils and leaves you more susceptible to infection, acne, dehydration and a number of other skin disorders.When your skin feels, "squeaky clean", it is not a good thing, because that means you have stripped your skin of its' immunity. One of the other ingredients that is best avoided are the family of preservatives known as parabens. Parbens have become controversial in recent years because one study has linked them to breast cancer. This is important because a portion of what you put on your skin such as body lotions, moisturizers, skin tonics, and perfumes are actually absorbed by the skin and enter the blood stream.
How can you tell if a product is truly natural? The answer is, that there will be less ingredients and they will most likely be ingredients that you can easily pronounce. This means the product is less processed and is easily used by yours skin and body to maintain your overall health. If you are in doubt, ask questions. Any educated skin care professional should be able to answer them honestly. What you put on your skin does impact your health. Using personal care products that contain ingredients directly from nature and that are free of SLS and parabens can only benefit your overall health.